Cupertino, Calif. beacon of Asian-American political participation

In population, Asian Americans constitute 19.3 percent in the Bay Area and 31.1 percent in San
francisco. But in Cupertino, about 45 miles southeast of San Francisco, Asian Americans are
accounted for 44.8 percent of its population of 50,000. Cupertino is a beacon of Asian-American
political participation, writes John Schwartz (The New York Times, Jan. 3. 2004). In Cupetino,
nine our of 28 local elected officials are Asian Aemricans. Dr. Michael Chang, a Chinese
American college professor, succeeded Ms. Sandra James as mayor in rotation and after him
Patrick Kwok, a Chinese American civil engineer. Ms. Kris Wang, 50 was elected to the City
Council. Donald T. Nakanishi, director of the Asian American Studies Center at the University of
California, Los Angeles said that Cupertino is a place "where 30 years ago you could not imagine
an Asian American living, let alone being elected."